Phang Nga Governor issues another warning over returnees from COVID risk areas

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Phang Nga Governor delivered his warning yesterday (Dec 10). Photo: PR Phang Nga

 

PHUKET: The Governor of Phang Nga province, immediately north of Phuket, has issued another order for all people returning from COVID-risk areas to report themselves to officials so that they may be screened for COVID-19.

 

The order follows the increase in infections from Thais returning from Tachileik in Myanmar to Mae Sai in Chiang Rai. It also follows concerns that Myanmar nationals are entering Thailand illegally, and consequently avoiding being tested for the virus.

 

Phang Nga Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada yesterday said that the situation had arisen from people being smuggled into the country by using natural channels, and resulting in COVID-19 infections, reported the Phang Nga office of the Public Relations Department.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phang-nga-governor-issues-another-warning-over-returnees-from-covid-risk-areas-78282.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2020-12-11

 

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I know I'm trying to use logic here, but how will anyone know if a visitor has been 'screened or reported'?

From the link above:

“I have therefore instructed local leaders at the district, subdistrict and village levels – and all people – to help each other to look out for  people who enter or live in the village. 

“If a visitor is found without being screened or reported to the village headman or other assigned staff, immediately notify your community leaders,” Governor Chamroen said.

9 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

I know I'm trying to use logic here, but how will anyone know if a visitor has been 'screened or reported'?

From the link above:

“I have therefore instructed local leaders at the district, subdistrict and village levels – and all people – to help each other to look out for  people who enter or live in the village. 

“If a visitor is found without being screened or reported to the village headman or other assigned staff, immediately notify your community leaders,” Governor Chamroen said.

Word of mouth.

28 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

I know I'm trying to use logic here, but how will anyone know if a visitor has been 'screened or reported'?

From the link above:

“I have therefore instructed local leaders at the district, subdistrict and village levels – and all people – to help each other to look out for  people who enter or live in the village. 

“If a visitor is found without being screened or reported to the village headman or other assigned staff, immediately notify your community leaders,” Governor Chamroen said.

Umm pull yourself together and try harder not to ????

2 hours ago, Traubert said:

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I know I'm trying to use logic here, but how will anyone know if a visitor has been 'screened or reported'?

From the link above:

“I have therefore instructed local leaders at the district, subdistrict and village levels – and all people – to help each other to look out for  people who enter or live in the village. 

“If a visitor is found without being screened or reported to the village headman or other assigned staff, immediately notify your community leaders,” Governor Chamroen said.

Word of mouth.

How would that work, if, say there were half a dozen different people entering a village at different times over a few days?
Unless photos were circulated, surely no one could know who was who - a goody or a baddie.

I'm not trying to be obstreperous, but trying to fathom out how the instructions above could work practically.

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I know I'm trying to use logic here, but how will anyone know if a visitor has been 'screened or reported'?

From the link above:

“I have therefore instructed local leaders at the district, subdistrict and village levels – and all people – to help each other to look out for  people who enter or live in the village. 

“If a visitor is found without being screened or reported to the village headman or other assigned staff, immediately notify your community leaders,” Governor Chamroen said.

The governor instructs the mayors, who instruct their gamnans, who instruct theair Pooyai baans who instruct their people. They have a very good system in place.

 

Also there is a number plate reader of all vehicles entering Phangnga from Phuket, it knows when you enter, it knows when you leave and photos are taken of every vehicle.

 

The Pooyai baan of beautiful Natai Beach In Phangnga was out this morning making sure everyone is masking up, shops have replenished the hand sanitizers, temperatures are being taken, people instructed to social distance again and use the chana app and the community is back on high alert.

Nobody has died here, he wants to keep his 100% success rate in tact.
 

 

 

21 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

How would that work, if, say there were half a dozen different people entering a village at different times over a few days?
Unless photos were circulated, surely no one could know who was who - a goody or a baddie.

I'm not trying to be obstreperous, but trying to fathom out how the instructions above could work practically.

The goody's wear white hats & the Baddie's Black hats easy ..........LOL

3 minutes ago, Natai Beach said:

The governor instructs the mayors, who instruct their gamnans, who instruct theair Pooyai baans who instruct their people. They have a very good system in place.

 

Also there is a number plate reader of all vehicles entering Phangnga from Phuket, it knows when you enter, it knows when you leave and photos are taken of every vehicle.

 

The Pooyai baan of beautiful Natai Beach In Phangnga was out this morning making sure everyone is masking up, shops have replenished the hand sanitizers, temperatures are being taken, people instructed to social distance again and use the chana app and the community is back on high alert.

Nobody has died here, he wants to keep his 100% success rate in tact.

It seems someone appears to be doing their job conscientiously.

 

You've mentioned how the system works from the top downwards, fair enough.

 

I still want to know how it's supposed to work going the other way, for everyone to  know who's who regarding 'if a visitor is found without being screened or reported'.

Or are they relying on the number plate reader you mentioned?

32 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

It seems someone appears to be doing their job conscientiously.

 

You've mentioned how the system works from the top downwards, fair enough.

 

I still want to know how it's supposed to work going the other way, for everyone to  know who's who regarding 'if a visitor is found without being screened or reported'.

Or are they relying on the number plate reader you mentioned?

 

I used to live in Pattaya then Chonburi. Spent time in the North, in Issan. It is all a bit of a sหเtfight.
 

But i have been very impressed by the professional way they do things down here. People seem to take more responsibility for things. People help each other more.

I think having a smaller population helps, if you don’t know someone here you will know someone who does know them. So they are generally better behaved, don’t litter much, not much street crime etc. They don’t want to embarrass their family. Don’t have people dumping pickups full off waste on vacant blocks etc etc
 

A judge I know sponsors weekly grass cutting and litter collection on the highways, other wealthy people sponsor other projects.

 

More of a community spirit with lots of volunteers all helping out. No anonymity like in more densely populated areas. 
Plus southern Thais in general are a bit more sensible/responsible than their northern cousins.

it isn’t perfect, but it is 90% better.

 

The governors orders like you say will be impossible to follow to the letter, but he has respect and people will follow them, the mayors, gamnans and Pooyai baans “teams”  work together more than in other areas. Not perfect, but a lot better than doing nothing. During the first round of covid they visited everyone’s house and gave out free masks and took names of everyone residing in the house every month. Maybe they will do it again?
 

The number plate reader is only on the Phuket/phangnga border. Impossible to put them everywhere. 

29 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Or are they relying on the number plate reader you mentioned

 

Very astute observation there Mr Sofa .. maximum efficiency of ANPR systems require the details of vehicle registration are updated as soon as the motor changes hands to a new keeper .. if not then it's compromised to begin with .. G B's system requires the person who the car is currently registered with , to inform the DVLA as soon as they dispose of it and like wise the buyer is legally required to provide their new details .. on pain of a fine for not complying .. and continuing to use it without registering it will ping the camera's everytime it passed one as the system will then show it as without a keeper so it will get pulled by the nearest Police unit ..

In practice ANPR is a pretty ruthless but undiscriminating tool as it's technology that is detecting the offence thru' the camera network , relaying the information back to the database which then checks the vehicle records .. all in seconds .. it is used for the obvious speeding offences but will catch out those without licenses , insurance , tax , MOT .. it can also be used to track vehicles of " interest " across counties if need be even if the vehicle appears all road legal .. 

Whether the system Thailand say they have is operating at such efficiency is unknown .. 

 

9 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

 

Very astute observation there Mr Sofa .. maximum efficiency of ANPR systems require the details of vehicle registration are updated as soon as the motor changes hands to a new keeper .. if not then it's compromised to begin with .. G B's system requires the person who the car is currently registered with , to inform the DVLA as soon as they dispose of it and like wise the buyer is legally required to provide their new details .. on pain of a fine for not complying .. and continuing to use it without registering it will ping the camera's everytime it passed one as the system will then show it as without a keeper so it will get pulled by the nearest Police unit ..

In practice ANPR is a pretty ruthless but undiscriminating tool as it's technology that is detecting the offence thru' the camera network , relaying the information back to the database which then checks the vehicle records .. all in seconds .. it is used for the obvious speeding offences but will catch out those without licenses , insurance , tax , MOT .. it can also be used to track vehicles of " interest " across counties if need be even if the vehicle appears all road legal .. 

Whether the system Thailand say they have is operating at such efficiency is unknown ..

Thanks for the detailed info on Automatic Number Plate Recognition.

If they are relying on that, there's still the Achilles heel of who (and even how many) might be in the vehicle, especially if it had closed rear panels.

On 12/11/2020 at 3:17 PM, Natai Beach said:

 

I used to live in Pattaya then Chonburi. Spent time in the North, in Issan. It is all a bit of a sหเtfight.
 

But i have been very impressed by the professional way they do things down here. People seem to take more responsibility for things. People help each other more.

I think having a smaller population helps, if you don’t know someone here you will know someone who does know them. So they are generally better behaved, don’t litter much, not much street crime etc. They don’t want to embarrass their family. Don’t have people dumping pickups full off waste on vacant blocks etc etc
 

A judge I know sponsors weekly grass cutting and litter collection on the highways, other wealthy people sponsor other projects.

 

More of a community spirit with lots of volunteers all helping out. No anonymity like in more densely populated areas. 
Plus southern Thais in general are a bit more sensible/responsible than their northern cousins.

it isn’t perfect, but it is 90% better.

 

The governors orders like you say will be impossible to follow to the letter, but he has respect and people will follow them, the mayors, gamnans and Pooyai baans “teams”  work together more than in other areas. Not perfect, but a lot better than doing nothing. During the first round of covid they visited everyone’s house and gave out free masks and took names of everyone residing in the house every month. Maybe they will do it again?
 

The number plate reader is only on the Phuket/phangnga border. Impossible to put them everywhere. 

 

Plate reader is rubbish. I use many different vehicles not all registered in my name. Try to track me...